Temple of Luck
The Temple of Luck '''is a temple to the goddess Tymora in southern Kharkorhum at the bottom tip of the Ariljaa District. Like other temples, it provides healing and refuge at a low cost but also functions as a casino to pay for adventurer assistance and board. It is directly connected to the Moritalbai Coliseum and most of the gladiators can be found here healing or relaxing between matches. History The third of the Great Temples (after the Temple of Dawn and the Temple of Dusk), the temple of luck was founded by gladiators Tamača-yin Qadan Boro'ul (also called '''Qadan the Grey) and Bear Witness upon finding the support of the Khatunate in giving freed gladiators quarter but not having the sheer resources to spare on another building project. Bolstered by a gift of the Khatun's gold and with Bear's previous skills as a merchant, the two joined with priestess Xangai-nu ökin Yesunte Eke (also called Mother Yesunte) to build up the ranks of the Tymorean Priesthood and build the Temple of Luck. Unlike the other two Great Temples, the Temple of Luck was not designed by the Architect, but was designed in accordance with the temples further south across the Günzgiimörön river. Accordingly, it lacks the wood structure of the other Great Temples and is instead formed from sandstone and polished concrete. It is also significantly larger than the other two and makes up almost the entirety of the northern fourth of the Coliseum, able to house hundreds within it's walls. In-Game Description Exterior The Great Temple of Luck is an open-air building made of pale golden sandstone, with carved archways and a tall stepped oval of a dome that reaches high into the sky, interrupting the low skyline with it's sheer magnitude. As you enter the courtyard, you find priests and patrons alike sitting on the edge of sacred pools being bathed in at either end, an artist here and there touching up paint on the carvings on the walls. Dotted around the courtyard and in the middle of the pools are stone shrines with motifs of leopards, tigers and cobras, incense wafting out of their open sides. Steps lead up into the main body of the temple itself where you can hear laughter, cursing and a strange chorus of bells. Interior Daytime As it is not yet the hour where the thrill-seeking tend to converge, the temple is not as busy as it normally might be, letting you get an uninhibited look at what it has to offer. Your eyes are caught first by filtered golden light from a skylight mural above you. Made of different shades of golden stained glass depicting warriors engaged in a battle, the mural spans the entire hall, about twenty feet across and easily a hundred feet long. Directly below the mural is a pool with the same proportions; along the edges, stone tables jut out into the water, with little alcoves behind them for dealers to do their business. Few of them are occupied at the moment, but a few patrons are lazily floating in the water as priests happily deal out a game of Tymora's Hand for them. More of the carved dealing tables are dotted around the edge of the main hall in between carved pillars, but more games are represented; from here, you can see a game of dice, multiple card games, a game played with a ball on a spinning wheel. Strange machines with pictures on the front are also scattered around the hall, but most seem occupied or otherwise out of order. Above almost all the games are bells of different shapes and sizes hanging from the ceiling; for every victory, the dealer waves their hand above their head and the bells chime together, creating a pleasant little chime amongst the low, sparse voices of the present patrons. A bar sits set into one wall, with fountains trickling into small wall-mounted basins on each side and a few bartenders in priests' robes milling about with no one to tend to. At the far ends of the hall, archways lead into the large multi-level dome and back out to the courtyard and into the city. Evening As you enter the temple and go around a wall that prevents you from entering the main hall, your eyes are suddenly dragged to every corner of the room at once by quick movements, the flashing of cards, shouts of victory and shouts of despair. As you turn your eyes skyward to get a moment's reprieve, you realize the entire hall is spanned by a skylight mural made of stained glass, depicting warriors engaged in battle, about twenty feet across and easily a hundred feet long. Directly below the mural is a pool with the same proportions; along the edges, stone tables jut out into the water, with little alcoves behind them for dealers to do their business. Patrons swimming in the pool float with their cards held in a dry hand, the other hand resting on the lip of the tables for support. More of the carved dealing tables are dotted around the edge of the main hall in between carved pillars, but more games are represented; from here, you can see a game of dice, multiple card games, a game played with a ball on a spinning wheel. Strange machines with pictures on the front are also scattered around the hall, but most seem occupied or otherwise out of order. Above almost all the games are bells of different shapes and sizes hanging from the ceiling; for every victory, the dealer waves their hand above their head and the bells chime together, creating a pleasant but deafening cacophony in the hall when combined with the noises of the patrons. A bar sits set into one wall, with fountains trickling into small wall-mounted basins on each side and a few bartenders in priests' robes milling about to take orders from nearby tables. At the far end of the hall, more archways lead into the large multi-level domed complex you saw from outside. Dome In the middle of the great dome, a fountain with a bronze statue of a dancing woman in a circle with four arms spans almost three stories. Two of her arms are holding pitchers from which water pours, while the other hands hold four playing cards and a set of dice respectively. An ornate crown falls over her eyes, blinding her, but her grin doesn't waver. Below her in the fountain is a mountain of gold and silver glittering underneath faint waves. The south side of the wall looks directly into the inner coliseum from multiple angles from large, open windows, with two priests loitering about waiting for the day's games to start. Trainers and gladiators occasionally emerge out of the east wing to slip into the Coliseum via a few archways but the dome, despite its size, is mostly absent besides a few patrons desperate for air. The west wing has a priest attendant loitering about in case anyone needs lodging. She waves to you as you pass. Interactions Games Tymora's Hand A card game with a high 40g buy-in, 1d8 is rolled for each player, and the die is hidden. Each player has a chance to raise the bet, call the bet (meet it), or fold. It continues when all bets are equal. Each player then rolls a 1d6, keeping it secret. A final chance to raise, call, or fold is offered. Each remaining player rolls a 1d4, adding them all together. The winner takes 80% of the pot (20% goes to the casino.) Ties split the offered 80%. Players can cheat in Tymora's hand. Sleight of hand can allow a reroll, deception can force a fold, and perception can give a player random knowledge of another player's current dice value (card counting). Wheel of Fortune Players in this game make their bets first, from the options listed to the right: they can bet on red or black numbers for 1:1 returns, even or odd numbers for 1:1 returns, a five-number column for 2:1 returns, a four-number column for 4:1 returns, and a single number for 8:1 returns. Because this is the most beneficial game for the house, any and all bets are accepted. Six-Chance A dice game with a 25g buy-in, players are meant to roll 2d6. If they add to a 7, or a 12, the player wins. You can double the bet to add 1d6 to the total. Characters Gladiators Notes The Temple of Luck is based off of Brihadisvara Temple in Thanjavur, India.